This application is a national stage application, according to Chapter II of the Patent Cooperation Treaty. This application claims the priority date of Apr. 6, 1999 for Great Britain Patent Application No. 9907607.7.
This invention concerns a cover assembly, and particularly but not exclusively an area for covering an area of ice such as for example at an ice rink.
To make full use of venues such as ice rinks it is often desirable for the ice to be covered to permit activities to take place other than on ice. Such activities may comprise other sports such as boxing or basketball, or concerts or other performances. A number of arrangements have been proposed to temporarily cover ice, but in general these have not been wholly satisfactory. For example, some do not provide sufficient insulation, and others have proved quite expensive.
According to the present invention there is provided a cover assembly, the assembly comprising a plurality of components engageable adjacent each other to cover the ground or another surface, each component comprising an upper and lower part, each component being arranged such that the upper part defines an at least generally planar upper surface upon which a person can be supported, the lower part being engageable with the ground or other surface, with a gap being provided between the lower and upper parts to provide insulation and such that the upper part is spaced from the ground or other surface.
A plurality of spaced formations are preferably provided on one of the upper or lower parts and supportingly engageable with the other of said parts to space said parts apart. The formations are preferably provided in a regular pattern, and/or may be substantially frusto conical. The formations are preferably provided on the lower part. The lower part is preferably at least generally planar. The lower part may be formed from a single sheet of material with the formations being provided by shaping of the sheet.
The gap provided between the lower and upper parts is preferably filled with insulating means. which may be a foamed material and desirably polyurethane foam. Alternatively, the gap may be filled with air.
One or more openings may be provided extending into the gap to permit venting thereof.
The support surface of the upper part may be contoured, and may be contoured to aid the grip of persons walking thereon. Preferably formations are provided on the support surface to aid the grip of persons walking thereon.
Each component may be of substantially rectangular shape and may be substantially square.
Locking means may be provided for selectively retaining together adjacent components. The locking means may be provided on some of the sides, and desirably two of the sides, of the component. A plurality of locking means may be provided along each said side.
The locking means may comprise a locking member mounted on the component to be movable between a locked position extending generally laterally from the component so as to be engageable with an adjacent component, and an unlocked position contained substantially wholly within the component. The locking member is preferably pivotally mounted on the component. The locking member may comprise a curved engagement part, which engagement part may be substantially arcuate.
Recesses or other formations may be provided on the sides of the component with which the locking means is engageable.
Overlapping means may be provided on at least some of the sides of the component to cover any gap between adjacent components. The overlapping means may be provided on the sides without locking means, the overlapping means may comprise flanges.
The components may be made of plastics material and may be made of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene). The components may be made by twin sheet thermoforming, and the upper and lower parts may be integrally formed.
The invention also provides a component usable in a cover assembly according to any of the preceding eleven paragraphs.
The invention yet further provides a temporary cover for ice, the cover being in the form of an assembly according to any of said preceding eleven paragraphs.